Antique Painting with Religious Subject Oil on Canvas XVII Century

Features

Artwork title:  Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Age:  17th Century / 1601 - 1700

Subject:  Figures of Saints

Description : Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

Oil painting on canvas. The identification of the saint is given by the presence of the large wooden wheel, symbol of the instrument of her martyrdom. Usually the saint is represented with a crown on her head and dressed in royal clothes to underline her princely origins. Instead here we have an atypical depiction of her, with her hair loose, covered only by a large red cloak (the color of blood, therefore of mortal humanity) which falls from her shoulders and forces her to cover her breasts with her hands; her gaze is turned upwards, where the heavens open and an angel descends, holding the palm of martyrdom with one hand and placing a crown of flowers on her head with the other, symbol of her mystical marriage with Christ . It is therefore a representation that sees her at the moment of passage to eternal life, similar to a penitent Magdalene in mystical adoration, who offers herself to Christ without any human recognition. The chromatic choices stand out in the painting, which against a dark and gloomy background bring out the red of the open sky and of the mantle, and the whiteness of the flesh, both of the woman and of the angel. The canvas, already restored and relined, is presented in a worked frame from the late 19th century, with some defects.

Product Condition:
Product in good condition, has small signs of wear. We try to present the real state as fully as possible with photos. If some details are not clear from the photos, what is stated in the description applies.

Frame Size (cm):
Height: 131
Width: 104
Depth: 7

Artwork dimensions (cm):
Height: 97
Width: 67